Fitness and Health

3 Healthy Ways to Lose Weight

A lifestyle disease was pretty much unheard of among our ancestors. Over the years, the foods we decide to eat have gotten more processed, refined, and altered from a real food state into a quick and easy or fast food.

People used to grow food on the farm, had a garden that provided them with fresh vegetables and fruits. Now we add artificial coloring foods to make them look more like we know they are supposed to.

It's no surprise that when you start messing with what we are made of, it can lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems.

Keep your health, and lose weight at the same time by following these three healthy tips to weight loss.

Way #1 - Opt For Home-Cooked Meals

Steer clear of bagged snacks and junk food if you want to lose weight. Avoid restaurants and road-side diners, as they typically re-use their oil, making it thick with toxins and harmful to your health. When you eat at home, not only can you use fresh oil, but you can also use less of it. You know you are eating healthier when you prepare a meal at home from scratch.

Make it fun and include your family. Let each member know that the meal won't be as good if he or she doesn't add what they like and enjoy.

Try designating specific jobs of chopping veggies or setting the table to make meal time arrive on time. If you choose a recipe that only requires one pan, or a slow-cooker recipe, then you can really drop your duration time in the kitchen, not to mention cleanup.

Way #2 - Read Your Ingredient List before Buying Anything

This is important. Before you buy any product, take a moment to read the ingredients list. If you product you hold in your hand has lots of additives, it's not what it was when it was picked off the plant. For example, a baked potato is very different from a bag of seasoned potato chips. They add oil and long list of chemicals and colorants, not to mention a goodly amount of salt, to that baked potato and it becomes something entirely different.

Look for simple ingredients, and if you don't know what an ingredient is, look it up. For example, mixed tocopherols are actually a form of Vitamin E that companies use as a healthy, natural preservative. Be aware of what is going into your body.

Watch out for anything that has large amounts of fat, sodium or added sugar. Try steering clear of products that contain stabilizers, artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors. Don't eat any food that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils on it, as this wreaks havoc on your precious cell membranes.

Way #3 - Pack Your Pantry with Healthy Food

Make subtle changes in the way you eat. If you are used to having a certain kind of soup, switch to a healthier one at your next trip to the store. If you buy snacks, choose ones that have protein in them, without a lot of sugar or fat. Try adding nuts and seeds for snacking, and convert your pantry into one that is always packed with healthy foods.

If you make these fast ways a way of life, you can dramatically improve your weight loss, and you are losing weight the healthy way.

To learn more, please call our office at 239-593-0663.

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